My 20G Planted Tank

[CorallineAlgae]

I tried using those NLS pellets in the smallest size. My guppies still couldn't eat them.

I had the same experience with those. They're my favorite for marine tanks but my tetras can't swallow them either. The Hikari ones are about 1/5th the size of NLS. Even teeny fish can eat 5 or more. It's crazy small but floats so nothing gets lost. I still use a feeding ring just to be sure.

 

[callisto9]

Is he still just sitting in the middle?

Yeah, doesn't move, doesn't eat... Seems to be something wrong with his "foot".

I just swirl the siphon hose above the substrate and very lightly touch down where I can to get the detritus.

Another way to feed would be to feed the same amount you do now, or less, but break it up into two daily feedings. Fish can stay healthier on less food if they get it more often. Having lots of ramshorns sometimes means you're feeding a little heavy. Switching to micro pellets is another good idea. Flakes always seem to cause a mess, either with algae or snails or gunk in the sand. Bleh. The Hikari micro pellets are my personal favorite for tetras or communities of small fish. They never break up into dust like flakes and even the smallest fish can take them. My betta does better with it than his betta food.

That's kinda what I do, too - just hover over all the areas I can and move around in swirls. If I touch down too much, the Eco Complete gets sucked up and blocks the siphon.

I'll try breaking up the feedings. I feed them New Life Spectrum. It's really teeny stuff. I am not using flakes right now. Everyone eats the New Life Spectrum small fish formula.

I have TONS of ramshorns and TONS of snail eggs. I see them all over the place. I think I got all the pond snails picked out, but the ramshorns... I bet I have 30 in there right now, and four sets of eggs.

 

[callisto9]

I had the same experience with those. They're my favorite for marine tanks but my tetras can't swallow them either. The Hikari ones are about 1/5th the size of NLS. Even teeny fish can eat 5 or more. It's crazy small but floats so nothing gets lost. I still use a feeding ring just to be sure.

What's a feeding ring?

The New Life Spectrum are about the size of a pinhead or smaller. They float for a few seconds and then sink. I feed the equivalent of the size of an eraser or less. Not much at all.

 

[CorallineAlgae]

I know some fish eat baby ramshorns but I can't remember which. I love mine but don't want them everywhere. The newt eats all the babies but leaves the bigger ones alone. He's the sheriff. Keeps the tank orderly.

 

[callisto9]

I know some fish eat baby ramshorns but I can't remember which. I love mine but don't want them everywhere. The newt eats all the babies but leaves the bigger ones alone. He's the sheriff. Keeps the tank orderly.

I'd love to have something that eats baby snails, but not larger ones or my mystery snails. Does a newt need an above water habitat?

 

[CorallineAlgae]

What's a feeding ring?

The New Life Spectrum are about the size of a pinhead or smaller. They float for a few seconds and then sink. I feed the equivalent of the size of an eraser or less. Not much at all.

Then I doubt you're overfeeding.

Here's the feeding ring. You can use it with the cone for bloodworms or without the cone for everything else. I think PetSmart or Petco has them.
http://www.amazon.com/Lee-4-Way-Cone-Worm-Feeder/dp/B0002APS3M/ref=pd_sim_petsupplies_1

You can see it at the top in the right front corner in my tank. That ring is over 12 years old by the way. I finally got a new one last week but it's in my 5 gallon.

 

[callisto9]

AH! I've been wondering about something like that. I have such a hard time feeding them bloodworms 'cause they just float away and don't sink.

I'll have to pick one up at the LFS this weekend. Thanks for the info!

 

[ejaramillo01]

Red fancy guppy:

Yellow mystery snail with pink ramshorn sliding right over him:

Pink ramshorn:

Full tank shot. Added an amazon sword this weekend and some more brazilian pennywort.

Hey! Love to see the Pennyworth in your tank! Looks great

 

[callisto9]

Hey! Love to see the Pennyworth in your tank! Looks great

I love it too. I hope to have some to share soon with my LFS, as I see he doesn't have any.

 

[Botanica]

Hi there...so I was wondering if you ever found out what the white stuff on your manzanita was and did you get rid of it? We have added a branch and it has the white film over it...heavier on the lighter streaks in the wood than on the darker streaks. I remember you took it out and scrubbed it off but it came right back...it's just so yucky looking...lol...any advice?

 

[callisto9]

Hi there...so I was wondering if you ever found out what the white stuff on your manzanita was and did you get rid of it? We have added a branch and it has the white film over it...heavier on the lighter streaks in the wood than on the darker streaks. I remember you took it out and scrubbed it off but it came right back...it's just so yucky looking...lol...any advice?

I cleaned it off twice, but it does eventually go away on it's own and seems to be harmless to the fish. It just looks weird.

I have no idea what it was!

 

[Rivercats]

I'm wondering when I can put my gourami in my 20G tank. This weekend marks two weeks. How much longer should I keep him in the QT tank?

Also, I feel like my 20G tank always has so much gunk in it. If I move around a moss ball, or stir the substrate, or brush against some plants, crap just flies everywhere. I don't overfeed (I think) - just a few pinches once a day. I have tons of ramshorns now (yikes), so I know they're munching. How can you vac the substrate when you have a planted tank? I mean, the stuff settles in a few mins, but I feel like there's so much gunk in there. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Everyone is still happy and healthy except the yellow mystery snail. No clue what to do about him.

I hate to say this but when snails do that most likely it's dying. And if your having a population explosion your definitely feeding too much. Try cutting down and see how it goes. As for the detris... I don't gravel vac but what I do is wave my hand around the tank and through the plants lightly right after I start my WC. That way alot of the muck is sucked up during the WC. It may take a few WC's to get it out if there is alot but keep at it and it will clean up.

 

[callisto9]

I hate to say this but when snails do that most likely it's dying. And if your having a population explosion your definitely feeding too much. Try cutting down and see how it goes. As for the detris... I don't gravel vac but what I do is wave my hand around the tank and through the plants lightly right after I start my WC. That way alot of the muck is sucked up during the WC. It may take a few WC's to get it out if there is alot but keep at it and it will clean up.

It seems hard for me to believe that I'm overfeeding. I feed about the same amount as an eraser tip...and that's for 11 fish.

Thank you for the advice on the substrate cleaning - that's actually what I do, too.

I am not surprised to hear the snail is dying. What's odd is that he's been like this for over three weeks now.

Thanks for your post!

 

[CorallineAlgae]

It seems hard for me to believe that I'm overfeeding. I feed about the same amount as an eraser tip...and that's for 11 fish.

Thank you for the advice on the substrate cleaning - that's actually what I do, too.

I am not surprised to hear the snail is dying. What's odd is that he's been like this for over three weeks now.

Thanks for your post!

I have 11 neons and I feed about 1/5th of an eraser head, maybe less, but I do that about 2-3 times a day. Every three days I feed bloodworms to my newt and the neons get some too. I also feed algae wafers each day but one wafer usually lasts a week for a bristlenose pleco and two Siamese algae eaters. I break them into small pieces and I still end up having to take some of the algae wafer out if it goes uneaten. Small fish truly need very very little food but they like it frequently.

 

[callisto9]

I will definitely cut back on the food!

 

[Coco1019]

I have 11 neons and I feed about 1/5th of an eraser head.

Wow! I'm definitely over feeding then. I've been feeding flakes because they just can't eat the NLS pellets. I do a pinch in the morning and evening. They eat it all and they don't seem fat. Though, 4 of them are pregnant. Well, 3 now. One popped last night!


Botanica - I have that yucky stuff too. I've cleaned it about three times and it just keeps coming back. I boiled and soaked the wood forever it felt like, too.

 

[Botanica]

Botanica - I have that yucky stuff too. I've cleaned it about three times and it just keeps coming back. I boiled and soaked the wood forever it felt like, too.

I wish someone could explain it for us...lol...it would help for me anyway to at least understand...hehehe.

 

[Coco1019]

I wish someone could explain it for us...lol...it would help for me anyway to at least understand...hehehe.

I've searched around the interwebs trying to find a cause and it seems to be just various opinions.abit has spread tithe base of my crypts.

 

[callisto9]

Botanica - I have that yucky stuff too. I've cleaned it about three times and it just keeps coming back. I boiled and soaked the wood forever it felt like, too.

Once mine took care of itself, it never came back. I boiled, scrubbed and scrubbed again. After a week or so, it went away.

 

[callisto9]

Apple snail passed on to the great beyond today. What a long death!